


Carmen Historiale - Song of History

by wcdarling



Series: Carmina [4]
Category: Vampire Chronicles - All Media Types, Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Ancient Rome, Classical References, M/M, Museums, New York City, Romance, Vampires, ancient vampire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 12:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16492634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wcdarling/pseuds/wcdarling
Summary: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Two living museum pieces. A modern world. What is it like to the face the millennia and have a face that seems so young? Let's go to NYC and find out!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fourth story in the long Carmina* series and is centered around a "The Vampires Take Manhattan" theme. Initially it's Marius and Formosus doing the town together, but then they are joined by a friend.
> 
> *[Carmina](http://archiveofourown.org/series/491026)  
> This series of stories -- the first real fan fiction I ever really attempted, in about 2000 -- focuses on Marius and a new male character of my invention. The main focus of this story is the notion of vampires' relationships to the times in which they lived as mortals and their relationship to the centuries as they pass. Includes historical fiction, romance, poetry, and light slash. Most of the action takes place post-TVA but certain aspects of that story are ignored. 
> 
> My creative inspiration in writing these stories came from several sources: 1) Pandora, a lovely and underrated novel, 2) the poems of Horace, who lived during Marius' mortal lifetime, 3) the film Gladiator (as historically inaccurate as it is); 3) and study of Roman history. And though there is MUCH historic and literary inaccuracy in this I am sure, well, sorry, I was having fun.
> 
> I confess I was on the fence about even sharing this series on AO3 it's rather embarrassing to me now (OMG, is it ever!!!!) but yeah... 
> 
> Spoilers  
> Virtually none, but action takes place post-Armand. I definitely recommend reading the [Carmina series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/491026) in order. 
> 
> Categories  
> Drama, Romance, Vampire Fiction
> 
> Rating  
> PG to R  
> Also, OC is a teenager in appearance ONLY.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marius and Formosus contemplate ancient objects, including themselves.

Formosus stared down into the display case at the jeweled Egyptian necklace in silence.

He and Marius had been roaming the galleries of the [Metropolitan Museum of Art](http://www.metmuseum.org) since early evening and for the most part, their exploration had been quiet, wordless. It was Marius who led the tour, proceeding through the museum in chronological order. They had already finished with ancient Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Anatolia and the other ancient nations of the Near East.

  
_([Ancient Egyptian, about 1800 BC, Metropolitan Museum of Art](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544232?searchField=All&;sortBy=relevance&;deptids=10&;what=Jewelry&;high=on&;ft=*&;offset=0&;rpp=80&;pos=5))_

As Formosus examined another ancient object, older than himself even, he marveled at its perfect condition. Such was not always the case - witness the many fragmented sculptures in previous galleries - but still, he found it remarkable how much had remained of these civilizations, dead centuries and even millennia before even he had lived.

The quiet had grown a bit uncomfortable for Formosus, so finally he spoke.

"Marius," he called. His voice echoed through the chamber, empty of the usual crowds. Marius appeared at a nearby doorway. "This necklace," Formosus gestured, "looks just as fine as the day it was made."

Marius approached the case and looked down. "Yes, but so do you." A quick kiss on the cheek.

Formosus smiled but quickly his faced turned serious. "I had help, Marius, and it was not natural. This object has survived millennia just through… luck? Chance? The whims of the gods?"

"Yes, through all those things," Marius replied slowly. "Although I must confess I do not care for this particular necklace. It reminds me of Akasha. I procured similar necklaces for her over the centuries. I even had new ones fashioned to match the style. I thought it would please her. But all along I played the fool."

Formosus shook his head. "No, Marius, you were trapped. And now, if you do not care for the art of Egypt, perhaps we should leave for the next gallery?"

"Do you know what that is?" Marius asked.

"No, what?" Formosus asked, turning away from the display case and following Marius out the door.

"Ancient Greece," Marius replied. "Interested?"

Formosus hesitated for an instant, then followed Marius down the hall. "Oh, yes, Marius, I am… although I have to admit I am experiencing some conflict."

Marius was moving swiftly down halls, up staircases, navigating his way to the galleries. "How so? You don't like Greece?" His tone was almost rhetorical, as if the answer were a given.

Formosus stopped dead in his tracks. "I suppose I feel the way you do about Egypt, although my feelings are more irrational. When I was mortal, like most poets, I was in love with Greece…or at least the idea of it. I read the literature. Even afterwards I could enjoy the philosophy, the plays, the stories. But the place itself, the physical reality of it? I dislike it and I think you know why."

Marius, who had turned, nodded. "Your memories are still tainted? The kidnapping?"

A sheepish nod. "I have always felt I wanted to leave Greece behind. Do you know I never set foot in that country again?"

"I am not surprised."

"No? I feel like a coward, but I decided I had the world to roam… or not to roam. And so I avoided Greece at all costs."

"Understandable. But you can face the galleries now?"

"Yes, Marius, I believe so. I have grown in the past millennium, or at least that is my hope. I can see with clear eyes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to their arrival in New York.

Marius had flown Formosus to New York in pre-dawn hours of the previous evening. Perhaps Formosus could have made the journey of his own power, but that power remained untested, and he had been happy enough to submit himself to Marius' care. Having never been up in sky before in his life, Formosus had marveled at the view of the world, the clouds, the stars overhead. Not even the cutting, cold wind could make him close his eyes. How marvelous to travel this way!

Finally they had arrived on Manhattan. Formosus had encountered the city before; it was where he had first arrived from Europe. He had recognized the incredible, enormous towers, the steel canyons, the billions upon billions of lights, and the millions of mortal souls down below. He had shuddered despite himself at the notion of a city so gigantic and more than that, so gigantic and  _modern_. Would he be able to handle this?

Marius seemed to have anticipated these thoughts.  _I have arranged a hotel room for us_ , he assured him in his silent voice.  _You do not have to go out if you do not wish it. Tomorrow we visit the museum._

A wave of relief had washed through Formosus.  _Thank you. I… am not ready for this city._

 _I understand_ , Marius had answered.

They landed softly in an empty street. Around the corner was a grand old hotel from the beginning of the century. Even at 3 a.m. the hotel staff were dressed in their finest and they were welcomed into the lobby. Marius had motioned to Formosus to sit while he checked in at the desk and picked up their small suitcase, which Marius had had sent up the day before.

When Marius had concluded his business, he found Formosus posed on a nineteenth century chaise lounge, red velvet and gilded, a fairy tale version of the furniture of the time in which he had been born. The effect was quite pleasing, although Marius detected a haunted look in Formosus' brown eyes.

"What is it, my love?" Marius had asked, dropping his voice to reduce the echo in the large, empty lobby.

"Oh, Marius, I am sorry. While you were… at the desk… I was looking at all this… luxury. Obviously it must be good taste, I can tell it is fairly 'old' by mortal standards, there are marvelous carvings… But do you realize I really have no idea? This time period, when this hotel was made, is one I do not have any knowledge of. I have no… associations. No feelings. It is all… ascetic. Do you understand?"

Marius had nodded and laughed softly. "And so you find the one piece of furniture that seems vaguely familiar and -"

"Yes, too true," Formosus had interrupted. "But enough. We will no doubt discuss this tomorrow at this great museum. Now take us to the room… And if possible, avoid using the machines… that go up. I find them disconcerting. This hotel does have one of those machines, yes?"

Marius raised an eyebrow. "An elevator?" Formosus had nodded solemnly. "You don't like them." Formosus shook his head. "I see. Well, I can have us up the stairs in no time."

_Good, then let us be gone!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marius and Formosus examine ancient life under glass.

In the Greek galleries, Formosus was overjoyed to discover that his bias towards Greece had finally dissipated. After so many centuries, it was simply impossible for him to hold a grudge. And seeing the worn, broken faces of the statues of those ancients, he couldn't help but see them as more kin than enemy. They were of almost the same age! They had lived and breathed so long ago. How could he be angry?

  
_([Ancient Greek, Metropolitan Museum of Art](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/252890?searchField=All&;sortBy=relevance&;deptids=13&;high=on&;ft=*&;offset=0&;rpp=20&;pos=11))_

Gradually he was conscious that he was being observed. He looked up to find Marius standing an arm's length away, hands resting on a display case.

"Pandora adored your poetry, you know," he said. Formosus smiled and nodded. "And what pleased her even more was the way you were able to recite the ancient Greek from memory."

"But Marius, you yourself must know this from memory!" Formosus protested.

Marius wagged his finger teasingly. "Ah, but I did not sleep for a 1,000 years and wake up with it still in my head."

"I was  _not_  asleep, Marius, and who says I didn't recite it in the grave?" Formosus replied, sounding a tad bitter. "I told you, I went over everything I knew, over and over. By the end I could recite Vergil backwards."

Marius laughed and dropped his hand back down to the display case. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Still, Pandora did enjoy it so. And don't forget, Formosus, that while I may have read those pieces and have them stored in my head, unlike you, I was never trained to present them the way you do, with art. You were, after all, made to please."

"Yes, I suppose so." Formosus turned and glanced around. "We are through with these Greek galleries then?"

"Only if you want to be," replied Marius. "But you know what is next."

Formosus nodded. "I know."

"Do you dread it?"

"Yes."

Marius stepped forward and took Formosus by the hand. The next stop: the Ancient Roman galleries. 

* * *

As they turned the corner to meet their past head on, Marius and Formosus both hesitated. Finally Formosus issued a rueful laugh. "This is too bizarre, Marius."

He stepped into the first gallery and inspected his surroundings. A robed figure in bronze of a man with curly hair, a philosopher, the card said.. In a case, painted bowels. A woman's necklace. Earrings. Silver cups with winged cupids. He put his hands to his head as if to stop it from spinning.

  
_([Ancient Roman, Metropolitan Museum of Art](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/248466?searchField=All&;sortBy=relevance&;deptids=13&;high=on&;ft=*&;offset=0&;rpp=80&;pos=61))_

"This isn't too much for you, is it?" Marius asked, stepping forward.

"No, but it is a most peculiar thing to see your life under glass. This entire museum experience has been a strange one, but there is a particular feeling in seeing these objects labeled and know that they have been scrutinized by the masses. I wonder how they made it through the centuries. This tiny ring! That vase."

"As I said, luck has carried them. That and careful people who stored these things and kept them safe. Rome never died, you know… not really. Things changed, but an echo remained, and some people heard that echo. And of course, you can always thank the archaeologists."

"Oh, I do thank them. If it were not for them… I would not be here… with you." Formosus gave Marius a tender look and wrapped his arms around him. There had been so much talking since they come to this city. Not enough touching. They kissed.

Marius leaned forward and whispered into Formosus' ear. "There is something here you will enjoy." Gently pulling away, he walked through the galleries very deliberately. They came to a room that was, in fact, an entire bedroom from an ancient house. The chamber was long with a low, curved ceiling, walls covered in frescoes, an ornate floor, and at the far end, a couch with a footstool.

  
_([Ancient Roman, Metropolitan Museum of Art](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247017?searchField=All&;sortBy=relevance&;when=1000+B.C.-A.D.+1&;high=on&;ft=*&;offset=0&;rpp=20&;pos=19))_

Formosus was clearly shocked. He went to the tag on the wall and read the description:

_Cubiculum (bedroom) from the Villa of_  
P. Fannius Synistor, ca. 40-30 B.C.;  
Republican; Second Style

"Oh, this is almost frightening familiar, Marius," he said, "although the frescoes at my home were a bit different."

"More than a bit, my love." Marius too seemed taken with the room. "In any case, I have come to this gallery before to look at this. You were right in saying there is something peculiar about it. Personally, it makes me feel not exactly… old, but it does make me feel my age, if that makes sense. To think I lived when these things were new. I was a mortal man and this was my world. And not just my world, but a world of millions… millions who are not here to see their world on display in a museum half a world away, two millennia into the future."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Formosus recalls a happy moment.

Afterwards they examined the collection in earnest. They went over the museum's display cards and the accompanying brochures, checking to see what the current century's historians had made of this time in history. There were some gaps, but for the most part the accuracy was impressive. Just the same, Formosus couldn't help but laugh at some of the attention given to common household objects. "But, Marius, it is just a bowl!" he protested.

Finally there was no more to see and the rest of the museum lay before them. For hours they wandered through the halls, easily avoiding the occasional guards. Marius continued a careful chronological course, although for the most part he kept to the European and Mediterranean collections. What was the use of showing the rescued poet the rest of the world, especially when time was so short?

In the Medieval galleries, the Byzantine pieces pleased Formosus very much, that was immediately obvious. As they examined the intricate tile work and icons, Marius couldn't help but express an interest in the vampire's years in Constantinople.

  
_([Byzantine, Metropolitan Museum of Art](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/472562?searchField=All&;sortBy=relevance&;deptids=17&;high=on&;ft=*&;offset=0&;rpp=80&;pos=22))_

"So did you have a house decorated with things like these?" he asked, motioning to a case of intricately carved diptychs, plaques, and reliquaries. All around the gallery patterns of wood, stone, enamel, and metal spread out like a web.

"Of course I did. Only the best for the rich noble."

Marius paused, following Formosus to the next case. "Let me ask you this. It's something I've been wondering. You say you operated your own house of pleasure in Constantinople."

Formosus issued a quiet laugh. "I do not just  _say_  it, I actually  _did_  it."

"Of course. My question is, wasn't it difficult for you to manage things? Not that you are not gifted, but how did you manage the details, the business end, during the day? And how did you do this when you were, as far as the people in that city were concerned, a mere boy? A boy in a city where boys as beautiful of you could find themselves in quite a bit of danger…"

"Ah, now I see your line of questioning," Formosus interrupted casually, circling a marble bust, examining it from all sides. "Put simply, I was able to find a few trusted men who were able to carry out by business. Needless to say, they were quite devoted to me and not without reason. They are the ones who procured my goods for me, kept my household properly dressed, fed, entertained. They saw my taxes paid, collected money from my clients, distributed the charity I was always bestowing - anonymously, of course - and made it so I could appear in the evening and do as I liked. You did the same in Antioch and Venice and elsewhere, did you not?"

"Yes," Marius replied. "So it is as I supposed. Of course. Yet I also wonder… were you never taken on by the city's religious authorities or the secular authorities - or both, as they were so intertwined?"

This time the laughter was loud enough to cause an echo. "Oh, Marius, but naturally! I was, and will forever be, an absolute heretic. My beliefs are two: love and Bacchus."

Marius could no longer resist taking his treasure into his arms. "Yes, a heretic. A poet. And I love you for it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finishing up in the museum, M & F explore a new mode of travel.

The rest of the tour was relatively uneventful. In the Medieval galleries, Formosus recounted his tales of stealing into monastic scriptoria to pour over the preserved and copied ancient texts and leave his "little surprises," the illuminated manuscripts he prepared purely for the sake of historic preservation.

As they moved on through the museum's vast collections, eventually Formosus had to admit that he was getting to the point where things were becoming unfamiliar; he had gone into the ground in almost exactly A.D. 1,000, and after that he knew nothing.

By the time they reached the galleries of the Renaissance, Formosus was thoroughly absorbed in trying to comprehend the spirit of what for him was a new age. His eyes danced as he eyed the sculptures, the paintings, the gilded saltcellars, church altars.

"I envy you, Marius, truly I do," he remarked at one point. "This appears to have been a lovely time, at least for art."

Marius nodded. "I lived in the thick of it, or at least I tried." He pointed to a painting by El Greco. "See the date on the card?" It read 1599. "That is the date my world changed."

No more was said on the matter. Formosus knew that that was the year Marius had been routed out by Santino's coven, the year Armand had been ripped from his arms, the beginning of a long and painful recovery… and a long and painful period of loneliness.

As they progressed they began to move more quickly. The night would be over in a few hours and there was no way that Formosus could possibly absorb all of it anyway, so Marius let him examine those things which struck his fancy and pointed out pieces of particular interest. The furniture galleries amazed him. The change in painting in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries astounded him. To Marius' surprise, cubism struck Formosus as particularly delightful - "strange but perfect" he called it.

At last they were through with the museum. They exited through a door at the rear of the building, Marius taking care to quiet any alarms, and walked directly into the sprawling, lush greenery of Central Park. This was the way they had arrived, Marius flying Formosus the blocks from the hotel.

On the way out, Marius wanted to show Formosus a bit more of the park, and so he took him by Cleopatra's needle, the great Egyptian obelisk, with its rows of faded hieroglyphics, symbols that had survived millennia but hadn't been able to withstand a  _century_  of New York's polluted air. By the light of the moon, they entered the park's many garden and groves, walked on the shores of the Reservoir, climbed the steps of the "Castle" and gazed at the skyline.

When they had crossed the park and reached Central Park West, Marius had a surprise. He stood on the sidewalk by a stone entrance gate, a mischievous look on his face. "Now, Formosus, tell me how are we going to get home."

Formosus was puzzled. "We are not going to fly again? Could we walk? Or do we get inside one of those yellow automobiles?"

"Ah, you're close, so close! Formosus, I believe it's time I stop sheltering you from this modern city. We're not going to take a 'cab,' as they're called - we're going to take the subway!"

Now Formosus was quite befuddled. "Sub-way. Under-way. Under… ground way? What way?" Suddenly he caught the image from Marius' mind. His eyes widened. "Oh! A… train?! Going under the street? Oh, yes, I remember that now. I had been doing a lot of reading, I have even watched some television, and now I remember. Oh. I see."

Formosus looked around absently, trying to seem more worldly wise than he was but not still not knowing exactly what would come next. Marius took his hand and said, "As the phrase goes, don't worry your pretty little head. There is a station just around the corner."

A few moments later Marius was putting money in the token machine and feeding the tokens into the turnstiles. As they took the stairs down to the platform, Formosus' expression was that of man watching an erupting volcano's lava swallow his home. The darkness, the poor air quality, the sound of the fans and machinery… it was clearly very hard for him to deal with, although evidently he was trying.

When the train arrived, Marius tugged on Formosus' arm and there they were, two not-so-ordinary passengers riding south at 4 a.m. The car was almost empty. Near them, at the end of the car, a handsome but ragged beggar with a violin had fallen asleep after a night of playing the evening crowds. Marius went into his wallet and slipped a $100 bill into the inside of the man's jacket. Meanwhile Formosus was looking out the windows into the blackness, wincing with every squeal of the breaks.

"This is interesting," he remarked half-way to their destination. "I am glad you took me on this trip. I need to 'get out more' as it is said today."

Marius laughed, just as he always did when Formosus attempted to use modern day English or, as was the case often, attempted to translate modern day English into Latin. "Yes, you should go explore. We will do it together. But for now, there is the hotel, and then tomorrow night, another surprise."

Formosus turned away from the window looking disgusted. "We are not going home on one of those flying machines, are we?"

A shake of the head. "No, I would never subject you to that. Easier for me to fly on my own. No, this is a different surprise altogether."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No more coddling -- Formosus is forced out on his own.

Awaking the following evening, Formosus was surprised to find Marius not in bed at his side, but sitting in a chair, arms crossed, watching him.

"Good evening," Marius said pleasantly. "I am glad you did not oversleep your surprise."

Formosus, still a bit caught in his daytime dreams, managed to respond, "What surprise?" Marius nodded his head as if to say, "You don't remember?" Finally Formosus' mind snapped into consciousness. "Oh, yes, something is going to happen. As secret something. Now -"

Marius interrupted. "I will tell you only that I have arranged an appointment for you. It is at 10 p.m., approximately 45 minutes from now. You are to meet someone under the arch at Washington Square in Greenwich Village, a few dozen blocks to the south of here." He handed him a piece of paper with the time and place.

"I am going alone?"

"Yes." Marius' smile was teasing, almost wicked.

Formosus burst out laughing. "Oh, I can see you are enjoying this. What on earth do you have planned for me? And how am I supposed to know how to get to this arch, this park?"

"That is entirely up to you. As I said, I do not think it is particularly healthy for you to rely on me to negotiate this modern world for you. You are perfectly capable of making this meeting on time."

"Very well. I will take you up on this challenge. As I recall declaring to Lestat a few weeks ago, I am  _not_  a baby."

Formosus rose and opened the suitcase, drawing out a new set of clothes. In the bathrooms, he dressed, arranging his clothes before the mirror. He combed his hair into place and splashed his face with water. He checked his pockets to be sure he carried a wallet and then he counted the money to be sure he would be able to pay for things. Oh, he was going to be practical and show them all that he was not so disconnected from the world as everyone supposed.

Emerging from the bedroom, he announced. "Well, I am off to meet who knows what. Listen for my call. If I get in trouble with another exploding fuel truck or some similar disaster, I will be sure to let you know."

With that he kissed Marius on the cheek, grasped the handle of the hotel door, opened it, and disappeared down the hall. The door closed. Marius rose from the chair and lay down on the bed. He wondered what would happen. 

* * *

As soon as he reached the lobby of the hotel, Formosus did what he thought would be best: He found the handsomest, most able hotel staff person and asked them for assistance. How could he reach Washington Park by 10 p.m.? He was directed to the front door, where several men stood in uniform, ready to assist him. Immediately they knew what he wanted and pointed to a cab.

Formosus approached the nearest man and asked, in a whisper, "How much will this trip cost me?" He was told that anything over $10 would be criminal. "Ah, I see, but that is no matter, I am a rich man." He handed the staff person a $20 bill, who in turn pointed to another car, a sleek black machine with opaque black windows. An old man in an immaculate black uniform stood beside the car. Apparently this was the more appropriate vehicle for a gentleman of his standing.

"Where to, sir?" the man asked as Formosus approached.

The driver opened the rear passenger door as Formosus answered, "Washington Park. I am to meet someone there by the arch. I must be there at 10 p.m." He seated himself in the car.

"I see." The door closed and the driver came around the front of the car, opened the door, took a seat, and closed the door. "Are you sure you will be safe there?"

"Honestly, I do not know the area, but I assure you that I would be safe anywhere."

"Alright, suit yourself. Carrying a weapon then?"

Formosus couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, I suppose you could say that. But do not worry, I am just meeting someone and the meeting is not criminal." Formosus, as usual, walked the line between speaking the truth and masking the truth for someone else's comfort..

The engine came on and the driver turned his head to the read. "You will wear a seat belt, though, won't you? You can flirt with danger all you want, but not in my car."

Formosus' face registered pure befuddlement and the driver pointed to the seatbelt. "That strap and that strap, go together. You wear it. See?" he asked, tugging on his own. "It is for your safety."

"Oh," Formosus said quietly, fumbling to make the two pieces of metal click into place. "Excuse me," he spoke up, "but my English is not what it should be."

"Don't worry, no one's is."

The car left at last and they were off into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Formosus finds out what the surprise was

"Here we are."

Formosus was startled. Having been completely absorbed in the obscenely foreign, modern city out the car window and with only a vague idea of the city's geography, he had no idea how long the trip would take. Now that the car had come to a stop, he found himself feeling sorry the ride was over so soon.

The driver exited and came around to open the passenger door.

"Thank you," Formosus said. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this." He went into his pocket and drew out the $200 he had taken from his wallet during the course of the trip. Marius had given the violin player $100, after all, and given that money seemed an ever-renewable resource for vampires, it seemed only the man's due. After all, he had taught him how to use a seatbelt.

The driver looked at the money without much surprise. Perhaps he was used to dealing with the overgenerous, highly unusual patrons of uptown hotels. In any case, he received the money with thanks, returned to the car, and was gone in a matter of moments.

Formosus took his bearings. He saw from the street signs that he stood on the corner of Waverly Street and Fifth Avenue. In his readings he had heard of Fifth Avenue as a famous street, a marvelous grand boulevard. Turning towards the park, he saw the arch immediately. What an appropriate place for a meeting, he thought - an arch that looked like it was meant for an ancient forum.

Suddenly he realized he didn't know what time it was. Might as well go to the arch now and see if anyone was waiting for him already. If no one was there, he could ask a passerby; in this day and age, people carried the time with them on tiny machines.

Formosus crossed the street and entered the park via one of its many criss-cross paths. He looked up at the arch. Yes, it was a familiar form, as familiar as the surrounding skyscrapers and passing police sirens were unfamiliar. And there was something else familiar. A presence.

He looked down and there to his right, sitting on a park bench with utter elegance and meeting his eyes with polite expectance, sat Louis.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An urgent conversation.

"It's 10 o'clock," said Louis softly, pointing out to his pocket watch, which he held in the palm on his hand, as if he had been checking it for some time.

Formosus was in the midst of some shock, but he was able to quickly recover. "Good. I am on time. On time for what I do not know, but such was Marius' intention."

Louis rose and there was a brief embrace. "So good to see you again," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"And you," Formosus replied. He looked Louis up and down. A beautiful creature in every respect. He had not seen him in a few weeks, as he and Lestat had been out of town on a type of vacation. Where Lestat was now he did not know.

"Lestat is in St. Petersburg. He decided he liked it there and wanted to spend some more time there. I, on the other hand was feeling homesick and it was chilly besides, so I went home to New Orleans on my own. When Marius contacted me about coming up to New York to join you, I thought, 'Oh, why not?' And no, I did  _not_  read your mind with regard to Lestat, I merely guessed that you would wonder where he is. I  _can_  function without him, you know."

"I know. That is good. And if he comes after me again, I believe I have methods of persuasion at my disposal."

"Of course." Louis gestured to the park. "In the meantime, let me take you for a walk and we can sit down in a café. Remember: hot drinks for the warmth, not the taste."

Formosus sighed. "Yes, and wine for the smell." He paused, caught in a sudden memory. "Do you know about Marius' wine collection?"

Louis shook his head. "No. But I suspect there are many things I do not know about Marius. You are the possessor of many secrets, my friend."

"Oh, no so many. Now shall we go?" 

* * *

Formosus smiled down gratefully at the cup of thick, black hot chocolate. His sampling of life in New Orleans had already taught him the virtues of this sweet brown drug. Hard to imagine that even in the decadence of Roman times, there had been no chocolate. And the notion of this fabulous sweetness made liquid… it was too thrilling.

Looking up, he saw Louis waiting patiently. They had been silent on the way from the park and except for the few words to their waitress, they still had not spoken.

"So what have you been up to?" Louis asked, carrying off the modern English with a delightful casualness.

"Oh, this and that," Formosus replied, trying out a phrase he had recently picked up. Louis grinned. Either his tone was improving or it was completely off. Didn't matter. He rested one hand on top of the cup and let his skin burn in the hot steam.

Louis spoke again. "I heard from Marius that you would be visiting a museum. Did you?"

"Yes, he took me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art." He flashed an image of the building into Louis' mind, hoping he would be able to see it, and along with he tried to send the feeling the place had given him, the feeling of awe, that so many riches could be found under one roof.

Louis seemed to have received the vision. "Over the years I have visited this city several times simply to see that collection. I know it well. What part did you enjoy the most?"

Formosus paused before answering. Conversation with Louis was so different from conversation with Marius. For even if Louis was often accused of being lost in the past, talking with him brought Formosus a feeling of being absolutely in the  _present_. Perhaps it was Louis' relative youth - the fact that he had not shared the experience of those long ago centuries. Louis was much more of the present than he could ever hope to be.

"I… pardon me," Formosus fumbled, trying to sum up his thoughts. "Yes, pardon me… I enjoyed the entire museum, but actually, Marius and I spent a great deal of time examining the 'ancient' collections. Some of them were truly ancient and I marveled at them. Other collections… the Greek, the Roman, the Byzantine… they brought back memories."

"Good or bad?"

"Memories? Louis, surely you realize that memories cannot be classified as 'good' or 'bad.' They are what they are. I think on those days, the emotions, the sense of the age, and those things are never simply 'good' or 'bad.' I lived through the 'Dark Ages' and truly, they were not entirely dark. But to answer the spirit of your question, I suppose the visit brought back the good memories. Good to see I can still remember those things and have not gone mad and lost that knowledge."

'I can imagine that is a fear," Louis said thoughtfully. "I worry myself that I will forget the details of my mortal day and age or the ages after."

Formosus put his hand, warm and moist from the steam, on Louis' bare arm. "Do not worry, Louis. You will never forget. There is a special place each of us makes for those experiences, those feelings. I have lived 2000 years and I tell you truly, in my heart I am still someone of what I was in those days and I see the world in those terms."

Louis slowly looked down at the hand on his arm. His face twitched slightly and Formosus saw that he had something to say, something that had been brought to the surface by the touch to his arm. Louis swallowed.

"Formosus, I came here because Marius asked me to… but I also came because I wanted to. I wanted to… ask you something."

A bit perplexed, Formosus withdrew his hand and returned it to the mug. His grip was tight as he awaited Louis' question.

Louis cleared his throat. A very human thing to do. And then his green eyes met Formosus' in a fierce embrace. "I would like to know if you… will…  _be with me_ … again."

Without so much as a blink, Formosus replied. "Yes. Of course yes. A thousand times yes."

Louis turned his gaze to the table and bit his lower lip. His head rose again and the green eyes locked. "Thank you." Hands came from his lap and he grasped Formosus by the shoulders. "Now, can we leave? For I… desire to…"

"I think I understand," Formosus whispered. "Privacy. Lead me to a room and I will follow. Anything as you ask. And I do not care if this is not typical of you, if you feel you are being rude, if you worry what Lestat will think. I do not care. In this, I care for you and you alone."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urgent actions.

Louis was grateful for the foresight that had led him to rent a room. For once he had decided on luxury and he had found a hotel on the high end that offered the security and privacy he desired. He had even found a windowless room that, according to the hotel, was perfect for guests who were afraid of sleepwalking out the window or doing harm to themselves.

The hotel was close enough that they could avoid having to take a taxi or a train. Not that they couldn't do that if they had to; Formosus had, after all, arrived at the park via chartered car, something which to Louis showed that his friend was making progress adjusting to the modern world.

As it was, their progress down the nighttime streets was swift. It was shortly after 11 p.m., and in New York, this was only the very beginning of the evening, and the streets were full of people. Walking with an easy intimacy, occasionally holding hands, the two darkly dressed figures went unnoticed among the teeming crowds and characters of all sorts - goths, punks, vendors, yuppies, security officers, college students, raving street corner lunatics.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, Formosus had just about finished describing his impressions of the museum. Louis found it fascinating to hear his take on ancient civilization but what intrigued him even more was the way he talked about the last millennium.

Here, thought Louis, is a person who can look at a Michaelangelo, a Rembrandt, a Monet, a Van Gogh, a Picasso, and give a  _fresh_  impression - a very fresh impression! Louis looked forward to returning to the museum with Formosus another day and going over the millennium of art at least, simply as a gift. He knew art, after all, and considering what they were about to do, he would owe him something. But really he would have done it anyway, simply because it would be interesting and he so enjoyed Formosus' company. How different it would be than when he roamed the museums of Europe with Armand in those dead and miserable years.

Finally the hotel room door closed behind them. The lights were low, as Louis had left them. It was an older hotel and the smell was much more pleasing than it would have been in a new room, where everything reeked of plastic and chemical cleaners.

Now was the time. Louis turned to Formosus, facing him directly for the first time since they had left the café. He let his eyes sweep over his body, from the slightly wavy, short black hair to the delicate wrists curving away from the folds of his violet satin shirt. What was it about the way he carried himself that made him so seductive? Louis decided it was no longer the time for such questions. Only action would do.

As swiftly as he would attack a victim on the streets, Louis came upon Formosus, scooping him up into his arms and pulling him onto the bed. Louis' mind was filled with notions, passions, drives that seemed to rise from nothingness into the very height of urgency. He must kiss him, he must touch every part of him, he must feel that skin. It was not the usual desire, but something else entirely. Again, Louis knew it was not time for questioning from where the desire came, and so he did as he wished.

Formosus was more than compliant. He returned every kiss, every gentle touch. Louis felt Formosus' spell drawing around them like a magic mist. Soon Formosus was pulling on Louis' shirt, soon it was over his head and then onto the floor. At touching, at pleasing, at reading his partner, Formosus was expert. Louis groaned under the increasingly arousing caresses, his nipples pinched, his shoulders kneaded under the poet's strong grip.

Oh, this was what has been lacking for so long, Louis thought. And I did not even know this was possible! Or I thought it might be but not with anyone I knew, not with Lestat, not with anyone, and now I have it. I am freed, truly freed, and no one the old constraints matter. I am not that Louis anymore. A part of me has been unleashed, set forth, uncovered.

As the minutes passed, the lovers' passion grew more and more intense. Clothes fell by the wayside. Arms and legs entwined, tongues slipped back and forth over one another, over sensitive skin, and over and over, touching, stroking, wanting to press every part against every other part, to feel known, to know, to be as one.

Louis was whispering in French, Formosus in a form of Latin Louis had never heard, but words were not important. That is, not until Formosus did something Louis did not in any way expect.

" _Que fait-tu à moi?_ " Louis asked, for an instant utterly shocked as he felt Formosus finger inserted into a secret, untouched corner of his body.

" _Cognosces, cognosces…_ " Formosus whispered. He was right. Louis knew  _exactly_  what was happening, or at least his body did, responding to the pleasure as it seemed nature had intended, whether he was aware of it or not.

The warm tingling spreading all over his body into his very fingertips, Louis felt himself afire, and every kiss was an attempt to quell those flames, even though they made him hotter and hotter. " _Mon corps est sur le feu…_ " he moaned over and over, lip to lip with his lover.

" _Incendo corpum tuum. Amo…_ " Formosus responded just as the flames reached their peak. Bodies arched, they gasped as one and sank into the soft warmth of the bed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conclusion. Everything is all right -- eternal happiness to follow?

When Louis awoke, he found Formosus in his arms. Had this night really happened? Yes, of course, there was no question. All that he had desired, every secret fantasy, had come true. He had come to New York because Lestat was away and because Marius had asked him so gently… but there was more.

The night Formosus had come to him at Rue Royale, Louis had felt something he was not sure he had ever felt as a vampire. It was not the painful pleasure of the kill or anything to do with the blood; it was a pleasure of the body and spirit such as he had never known. Formosus had a gift, and Louis had accepted Marius' invitation because in his secret heart, he hoped he could discover what it was.

Formosus opened his eyes and there was the gift again, dazzling and engulfing. Louis couldn't help but smile and pose a question, one which had popped into his head quite suddenly. "Did you do this with mortals, when you were a courtesan?" The question was not an accusation. Louis simply wanted to know.

"Not often…" Formosus responded. "Not the full measure. If I had I… would have been risking too much, tempting myself too much."

"With killing or with the making of fledglings?" Louis asked, propping himself on one elbow.

"With killing first and foremost. How could I enter such intimate embraces and not want to commit the final act of intimacy, give in to my blood lust? Impossible. As for the making of fledglings, this was less of an issue. I simply would not, could not, do such a thing. I felt I could not risk that. If I loved someone, I did not want to do something which might cause them to hate me forever…"

Louis nodded. "And the silence? Did you worry you would no longer be able to share your gifts once the silence descended?"

Formosus appeared wounded. "I… did not know about the silence until recently, when I read it in the books. I myself, in my experience… did not have any desire to know my maker, so although he was with me, I shut him out, would not communicate. I did not realize that I was cut off."

" _Je comprends…_ " said Louis. Switching gears, he pulled himself up to a sitting position and swung his legs to the floor. "Don't you think we should get dressed? Go meet Marius?"

Thinking as one, they headed to the shower to wash off the blood sweat and cool their heated bodies. Louis stood naked under the water, feeling no shame. Louis knew that normally, with anyone else, he would be shocked, ashamed, uncomfortable, self-conscious, even angry that such a scene was taking place, but in this instance, it felt right. Everything was right. Louis wondered if it would always be right. What if all his shyness, the hiding of his body, had been misplaced all along. How much pleasure had been lost? He knew already how much had been gained. How much more could there be?

* * *

As they left the hotel to find Marius, Louis was surprised to see Formosus take the lead.

"Where can I find one of those… Ah! Never mind, here it is!" he cried, pointing triumphantly to a subway entrance. Louis looked at him incredulously. He couldn't be serious. The subway? Still, he trusted him and so he followed him down the concrete steps into the dirty underworld.

Formosus' grasp of the system was impressive. Taking out some small bills, he put them into the token machine and retrieved two tokens. He placed one in Louis' hand, headed towards the turnstiles, dropped in his token, and expected Louis to follow. Louis looked at the token and then at Formosus. Not wanting to appear inexperienced, he dropped the token into the metal contraption as if it was something he did every day.

Down they went to the tracks. Formosus went up to the map and looked around at nearby signs. He pointed his finger and sure enough, he knew exactly where they were. With his other hand he pointed to a stop a dozen stops to the north. Apparently this is where they were headed. Louis looked at the sprawling spaghetti of the subway system. Amazing what the twentieth century had wrought.

Once the train came the ride was just fine. The car was nearly empty and Louis and Formosus sat in silence. Formosus kept looking out the windows into the blackness. Louis read the advertising and studied the few people who staggered on and off. It was by this time after 2 a.m. and even in New York, the subway crowd showed the weariness of the hour.

Finally Formosus quickened and rose. Their stop. Louis followed without hesitation, up the stairs, down the sidewalk, across the street and up to a large hotel. At the front entrance, Louis noticed an older man in a uniform tip his hat to Formosus in greeting. The doors opened and they arrived in the lobby. Formosus approached the elevator somewhat tentatively and pressed a button. The doors opened and again, Louis followed. With a look of great concentration on his face, Formosus deliberated which button to choose and finally he pressed a floor number. The doors opened and there, standing non-chalantly, stood Marius.

"I see you found you way home,  _amiculus_ ," Marius said, his voice warm and friendly. He took Formosus in his arms, settling his cheek on the top of his head. Looking up at Louis, he smiled. "You had a good evening?"

Louis' eyes were dancing. "Oh, yes, Marius, I did indeed. I had… the best evening. And would you believe it, Formosus had us come back by the subway!"

Marius drew Formosus away and looked at him in surprise. "By yourself, you took Louis from lower Manhattan to Midtown?"

Formosus chuckled. "How many times must I say it? I'm not a child. There is much that is new to me - actually nearly everything, it seems at times - but my mind is not dead. I am learning." He grew slightly more serious. "Think of it: I managed to travel alone throughout Europe at a time when that meant going by carriage or horse on old Roman roads, riding by ship, or cutting through the wilderness. I think I have seen complexity and I can handle it! What is the subway? What is an elevator? I have entered a new world, but I am happy in it."

_So am I, so am I_ , echoed Marius and Louis in their minds.

**Author's Note:**

> OMG, this old shit is embarrassing..... LOL.... Like, what was I DOING? Or thinking? Oh, well, maybe somebody out there likes this piece of ancient fan fic. If so, please tell me, because I'm curious.


End file.
